Writing Medieval Christian Kings in Islamic Literature

What is it about?

How are Christian rulers discussed by non-Christians? This paper looks at the example of medieval Spain to understand how the image of the ruler is created in a variety of sources from Muslim authors. It in part uses writings about a ruler, Fernando III, as a way to understand how there were a variety of responses that showed other concerns than simply the person being of a different faith.

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Photo by Austin Gardner on Unsplash

Photo by Austin Gardner on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This article continues to move away from the pervasive idea of clash of civilizations (ie Christians vs. Muslims). Instead, it argues that these interactions, both real and literary, had a range of possibilities. These choices for a positive or negative portrayal instead often focused on the geopolitical situation at the moment as each group is trying to solidfy their claim for power and to define righteous authority in the region.